BROOKLINE — A 43-year-old Brookline man was arraigned in Waltham District Court Tuesday morning for allegedly misleading a woman he was dating into taking medication to end her pregnancy.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced that Robert Kawada, 43, of Brookline, had been arrested by Watertown police on Friday, May 24, 2024. He was charged with poisoning, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a pregnant person, and assault and battery on a household or family member.
The preliminary investigation suggests that Kawada was dating the woman when he got her pregnant. He then decided to end her pregnancy by surreptitiously giving her pills, one of which is believed to be misoprostol, under the guise that they were iron pills and vitamins. After the victim was given the pills, she suffered a miscarriage.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), misoprostol is an FDA approved medication that is used to terminate pregnancies. Although it is commonly used in combination with mifepristone for medical abortions, if mifepristone is not available, a misoprostol-only regime can be used as an alternative.
The name of the victim has not been released.
The incident remains under investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Watertown police.
Kawada is scheduled to appear in court again on July 23 for a probable cause hearing.
